The first stop on their tour was at Runcorn Station, where they formally opened the new Mersey Gateway Bridge, a six-lane tollway.

Following that, the pair visited the Storyhouse cultural centre, where they met a group helping Syrian refugees, watched a performance by a dance theatre group made up of former addicts, and inspected a new children's library.

Meghan and her new grandmother-in-law were all smiles as they took in the sights.

They then walked through the streets of Chester to the local town hall where they attended a council lunch.

The decision by Queen Elizabeth, 92, to invite the Duchess to join her - less than a month after her wedding to Prince Harry - shows the royal family has no hesitation in using the confident and poised Meghan for public appearances.